Back to Completed Projects Home
Varnished Teak Finish
The teak trim was very dry when I first got the boat. I sanded it down and saturated it with teak oil in preparation for summer. By the end of the summer, the teak was dry and gray again. Recently, instead of soaking more teak oil into the wood, I sanded and varnished the teak (photos below). I figured that much of the oil had evaporated over the summer, and the teak would accept the varnish. We will see how the varnish holds up to the weather versus oiled wood.
.
The polyurethane (varnish) seems to last for 2-3 seasons
(years 1999, 2000, 2001), which is much longer than the oil
lasted (1-2 months). I don't mind (too much) removing and
refinishing the teak (about 8 pieces) every few years. I think
using a high quality urethane makes a big difference.